The British Columbia Lottery Corporation, responsible for conducting regulated gambling in the Western province, has cautioned locals about new circulating online casino scams. According to the regulator, there is a new set of fraudulent advertisements that trick people into providing their personal information by presenting themselves as commercials from licensed provincial casinos.
BCLC is a state-run agency that oversees and conducts casino and lottery services in British Columbia. It also operates the only regulated platform for online gaming and sports betting in the province, PlayNow.com. Therefore, any other website or platform that presents itself as the official site of any of the casinos in the province, is not legitimate and is most likely a scam.
Scams are Becoming Quite Common
In a statement, BCLC elaborated that fraudsters are using social media channels on Facebook and Instagram to offer would-be gamblers exclusive bonuses and promotions if they register their financial information with a fraudulent website or app. The Crown warned that such ads are deeply deceptive, as they use logos or exterior photos of actual casinos in the province.
BCLC cautions that such advertisements or websites are not correlated with the Crown or any of the local casinos. Currently, PlayNow, and its official mobile apps, BCLC Lotto!, PlayNow Poker BC and PlayNow BC Sportsbook are the only legal online gaming options. Also, all of the provincially operated social media accounts are verified with a checkmark.
An advisory to the corporation said that while BCLC and partners are working on taking down the posts, locals should be on high alert when it comes to these predatory and elaborate scams. BCLC reminds that its verified websites and apps will never ask for someone’s social insurance number, banking information or credit details to claim a prize from a provincial casino.
Meanwhile, bettors should be aware that any website or app that asks them to pay fees or taxes on a prize is a scam. If anyone stumbles upon a website, advertisement or app and wonders if it is legitimate can contact BCLC at 1-866-815-0222, or use the live chat function online at corporate.bclc.com or PlayNow.com and a representative will confirm or deny.
Recognize for Its Player Protection Efforts
In January 2024, BCLC announced that it had once again been awarded a Level 4 certification from the World Lottery Association. This is the highest possible level granted by the WLA’s Independent Assessment Panel for tremendous effort in player health programming. It was also the fifth time in a row that the B.C. lottery has received the Level 4 certification.
Meanwhile, its player protection efforts come on the back of a record-shattering fiscal 2022-23. Its latest Annual Service Plan Report and Accountability Disclosure Report revealed that the Crown corporation provided a record-setting net income of CA$1.636 billion. Out of which CA$1.624 billion went to the province and CA$12 million to the federal government.
Source: “B.C. Lottery Corporation warns of ‘predatory and sophisticated’ online scams” CTV News Vancouver, March 5, 2024